New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Balceborst’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Balceborst’, characterized by its upright, uniform and mounded plant habit; large light and dark purple bi-colored flowers that are positioned above and beyond the leaves; and very dark purple-colored leaves.

Botanical classification/cultivar denomination: Impatiens hawkericultivar Celebration Cherry Star.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of newGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Balceborst’.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breedingprogram is to develop New Guinea Impatiens cultivars that are compact,have a freely basal branching growth habit and numerous large flowerswith attractive flower colors.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in 2000 of the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Celebration CherryStar, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,407, as the female, or seedparent, with a proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified ascode number 2511, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. Thecultivar Balceborst was discovered and selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in acontrolled environment in Arroyo Grande, Calif.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken inArroyo Grande, Calif. since March, 2000 has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Balceborst’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Balceborst’ as a new and distinct New GuineaImpatiens cultivar:

1. Upright, uniform and mounded plant habit.

2. Large light and dark purple bi-colored flowers that are positionedabove and beyond the leaves.

3. Very dark purple-colored leaves.

Plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from plants of the femaleand male parents in flower and leaf coloration.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the cultivarKimpgua, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat No. 10,429. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in West Chicago, Ill., plants of the new Impatiensdiffered from plants of the cultivar Kimpgua in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more vigorous than plants of thecultivar Kimpgua.

2. Plants of the new Impatiens had longer and thicker lateral branchesthan plants of the cultivar Kimpgua.

3. Plants of the new Impatiens had longer internodes than plants of thecultivar Kimpgua.

4. Plants of the new Impatiens were more freely flowering than plants ofthe cultivar Kimpgua.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newImpatiens.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Balceborst’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typicalflowers of ‘Balceborsit’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Balceborst has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in West Chicago, Ill., undercommercial practice in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse with daytemperatures ranging from 20 to 24° C., night temperatures ranging from14 to 18° C. and light levels ranging from 4,000 to 7,000 footcandles.Rooted young plants were planted in 10-cm containers and had beengrowing for about ten weeks when the photographs and the descriptionwere taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Balceborst.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Celebration Cherry Star,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,407.

Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified ascode number 2511, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 7 days at 18° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About 21 days at 18° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous and white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Upright, uniform and mounded plant habit; freelybasal branching growth habit, about four basal branches develop perplant. Moderately vigorous.

Plant height.—About 16 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 27.8 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 7.8 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Internodelength: About 2.6 cm. Color: 187B.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite or in whorls of three.Length: About 8 cm. Width: About 3 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acuminate.Base: Attenuate. Margin: Serrulate with ciliation. Texture, uppersurface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Pubescence alongveins. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Young and fully expandedfoliage, upper surface: N186A. Young and fully expanded foliage, lowersurface: 187A. Venation, upper surface: 187B. Venation, lower surface:187A. Petiole: Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture,upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: 187B.Color, lower surface: 187A.

Flower description:

Flower type and flowering habit.—Single large flowers. Freely flowering,usually about five flowers and flower buds per lateral branch. Flowerspositioned above and beyond the foliage and typically face upward oroutward. Flowers not fragrant. Petals self-cleaning; gynoeciumpersistent.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the plant.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions; in the garden,flowering from spring until fall, flowering continuous.

Flower buds.—Length: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About 1.1 cm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: N57A.

Flower diameter.—About 6.5 cm.

Flower depth.—About 2.1 cm.

Flower shape.—Rounded; mostly flat.

Petals.—Quantity: Five per flower, imbricate. Length, banner petal:About 2.8 cm. Length, lateral petals: About 2.9 cm. Length, basalpetals: About 3.8 cm. Width, banner petals: About 4.2 cm. Width, lateralpetals: About 2.7 cm. Width, basal petals: About 3.4 cm. Shape: Obovate.Apex: Emarginate. Base, banner petal: Truncate. Base, lateral and basalpetals: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:Ground color, slightly lighter than N78C; central blotch on banner,central stripe on lateral and basal petals and towards the base, darkerthan N66A; venation, 67A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:Ground color, N57C; central stripe and towards the base, N57A; midvein,185A.

Spur.—Quantity: One per flower. Length: About 3.9 cm. Aspect: Curved.Color: Towards the flower, 184B; towards the apex, 145A; longitudinalstreaks, 184B.

Peduncles.—Length: About 4.6 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Strength: Strong;flexible. Angle: Acute. Color: 145B.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity/arrangement: Five fusedat anthers, hooded; filaments free. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anthershape: Obovate. Anther color: 12C. Pollen amount: Sparse. Pollen color:11D. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 6mm. Stigma length: About 1 mm. Stigma color: 71B. Style length: About 1mm. Style color: 71A. Ovary arrangement: Five-celled. Ovary length:About 4 mm. Ovary texture: Smooth. Ovary color: 187B.

Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to New GuineaImpatiens.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiensplant named ‘Balceborst’, as illustrated and described.